Cencus Dept. Data on the Holiday Season 2012

1.$27 billion

Retail sales by the nation’s department stores (including leased departments) in December 2011. This represented a 45 percent jump from the previous month (when retail sales, many holiday-related, registered 18.6 billion). No other month-to-month increase in department store sales last year was as large.

7. $1.03 billionThe value of U.S. imports of Christmas tree ornaments from China between January and September 2012. China was the leading country of origin for such items. Similarly, China was the leading foreign source of artificial Christmas trees shipped to the United States ($139.9 million worth) during the same period.

9. 525The number of locations that primarily produced games, toys and children’s vehicles in 2010; they employed 7,374 workers. California led the nation with 85 establishments.

10. 9.6 billionThe value of U.S. toy imports, including stuffed toys (such as dolls), puzzles and electric trains from China, between January and September 2012. China was the leading country of origin for stuffed toys coming into this country, as well as for a number of other popular holiday gifts. These include sports footwear ($227.7 million), basketballs ($41.0 million) and roller skates ($31.8 million). China led Thailand as the leading supplier of ice skates ($10.7 million versus

11.Place names associated with the holiday season consist of a dozen places named Holly including Mount Holly, N.C. (population 13,719) and Holly Springs, Miss. (7,638). There is Snowflake, Ariz. (5,587), Santa Claus, Ind. (2,484), North Pole, Alaska (2,154), Noel, Mo. (1,822) and — if you know about reindeer –Dasher, Ga. (934) and the village of Rudolph, Wis. (440). There is also Santa Claus, Ga. (166).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates
<http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2011/SUB-EST2011-3.html>

11 58%Proportion of the nation’s spuds produced in Idaho and Washington during the fall of 2011. Potato latkes are always a crowd pleaser during Hanukkah.

12 $1.38 billionThe value of product shipments of candles in 2011 by the nation’s manufacturers. Many of these candles are lit during Hanukkah (Dec. 8 to 16) and Kwanzaa (Dec. 26 to Jan. 1) celebrations.

Those numbers do give you pause, don’t they? But I’m not going to bash the commercialism of Christmas. I have a friend who has been unable to get a job in his chosen field since 2008, and this year he got a position selling ties part time at Macy’s. They offered him continued part time after the holidays and it meant the world to him that someone wants him. Unemployment can be soul crushing, and to me, those numbers mean JOBS.

Harriet was featured in an AP Syndicated article about Boomers and Dogs. She is the forever mom to Wrigley (lab/boxer/pit), Hazel (Schnauzer), Addison (lab/pit mix) and new pup (currently with no name- but, seriously cute).